Jiao Tong’s team from Shanghai wins the international student innovation competition

Shanghai Jiao Tong University won first prize in the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 for developing unmanned aerial and sea vehicles.

The event was jointly organized by 12 departments, including the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the Shanghai government. With the motto “Dare to stand out, dare to win,” the competition has attracted 5.14 million projects and 20.83 million participants from 5,406 universities in 153 countries and regions since it launched in May. Six teams of aspiring student innovators from the world’s top universities made it to the finals held recently at the Minhang Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Ultimately, the championship was won by a series of products called “Nezha” – hybrid flying and underwater vehicles – from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Nezha is a mythological character from the famous Chinese novel “The Investiture of the Gods”, also known in Chinese as “Fengshen Yanyi” or “Fengshen Bang”. He is often shown flying through the sky on Wheels of Wind and Fire and is well known for defeating the Dragon King, the god of rain in Chinese mythology.

A team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University has invented a series of vehicles that can fly in the sky and automatically dive into the sea, capable of performing missions such as observation of marine and air environmental factors, detection and identification of underwater targets, and maritime search and rescue.

The second place winner was “Virtual Computing Center: Grid-style Computing Planning Network” from Tsinghua University. Third place went to four projects: “BOUNDLESS: Communication System to Ensure Human Safety” from Xi’an University of Electronic Science and Technology; “Xishu Technology: Year-Round Solar Energy Storage with Zero Carbon Emissions” from China University of Geosciences (Beijing); “Vastech Energy: Next Generation Intrinsically Safe High Power Energy Storage System” from University College London; and “MagOss: Tailored Biodegradable Magnesium-Based Bone Implants” developed by the University of New South Wales.

Organizers said the competition emphasized integrated development by closely linking university innovation education with solving real-world industrial problems, thereby building a bridge between the education and industrial sectors. University students had a special track to solve industrial proposals. More than 2,000 companies submitted just over 4,500 proposals, including 1,073 universities, 74,000 projects and 311,000 registered participants.

It also proved to be a platform to enhance cooperation and exchange between Chinese students and their peers from around the world.

Alexander Harrison, a scientist at the University of Oxford, and his Chinese teammate Hong Haoliang have introduced a solid hydrogen storage project to create a low-carbon energy grid.

“It was a very interesting week – seeing all the projects and different forms of cooperation between universities,” he said. “I am sure it will be very interesting to continue working with Shanghai Jiao Tong University on developing these materials and our reaction ideas.”

Lohmann Moritz Nicolaus, a German student at Nanjing University, and his partners from Tianjin University and Technische Universität Berlin presented their design for an inexpensive intelligent servo motor and metamorphic robots that can transform into the shape of a dog, spider, or even a snake.

Nicolaus said he was very impressed by China’s policies and support systems that can effectively help innovators get started.

“Efficiency is key for entrepreneurs because if it takes too long to get approval to start a business, your competitors could overtake you,” he said.

“So I think the environment here is more friendly to new entrepreneurs. I also noticed that there are more opportunities for young people. I even saw that there is a special section for high school students.”